The Community MusicWorks Staff

Lisa Barksdale
Coordinator of DOP and MusicWorks Network / Resident Musician
Lisa Barksdale, originally from Atlanta, GA, migrated to Rhode Island via a winding path through Wisconsin, St Louis, and Boston. Lisa earned her Bachelor of Music at University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she studied with Vartan Manoogian. After a year in St Louis, spent studying with violinist John McGrosso, she moved to Boston to study with Lucia Lin and earned a Master of Music at Boston University. In 2012, Lisa joined Community MusicWorks and grew firm roots in Rhode Island, as she became a wife, dog-mom, human-mom, and (amazingly) a winter person! Her role at CMW includes performing, teaching, coordinating the Daily Orchestra Program, supervising CMW’s mentors, and of course leading the occasional round of the Chicken Dance. Lisa can also be found performing with the Providence Baroque Orchestra. She enjoys expanding her horizons and last year explored her interest in government policy advocacy as a member of the Women’s Policy Institute, class of 2024/25, for which she received citations from Rhode Island Governor Daniel McKee, Lieutenant Governor Sabina Matos, Secretary of State Gregg Amore, General Treasurer James Diossa, and Attorney General Peter Neronha. Contact: lbarksdale@communitymusicworks.org

Zan Berry
Resident Musician
Zan, a Providence based cellist and songwriter, is a passionate and creative musician who weaves together diverse musical interests in his work as a performer and educator. With a ceaseless curiosity for exploring new musical contexts for his instrument and collaborating with local artists across disciplines, Zan strives for a more creative, connected, and accessible arts community in Providence. Zan performs as a member of Verdant Vibes, a new music collective that brings together artists and musicians creating new work in a variety of genres, acoustic and electronic. Through his 2020 artist residency at the Music Mansion, founding PVD Cello Fest, and curating the Bach to the Future Marathon, Zan has designed concert experiences in Providence that have showcased the creative work of a variety of artists in the music scene. Zan performs around town as a singer-songwriter and with his experimental looping project, Cello Candy, and he has recently made his theatrical debut as Eamon in Wilbury Theater Group’s production of ONCE. Find more at zanberrycello.com. Contact: zberry@communitymusicworks.org

Laura Cetilia
Resident Musician
As a daughter of mixed heritage, Mexican-American cellist Laura Cetilia is at home with in-betweenness, straddling multiple worlds as performer / composer / educator / curator while working within acoustic / electronic / traditional / experimental sound practices. Her compositions have been described as “unorthodox loveliness” (Boston Globe) and “alternately penetrating and atmospheric” (Sequenza 21). Her works have been performed by San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, TAK Ensemble, loadbang, Mivos Quartet, Splinter Reeds, Dog Star Orchestra, a.pe.ri.od.ic, LCollective, Tacet{i) Ensemble, and others. Laura plays with Mem1 (established in 2003 with M. Cetilia, modular synth), Ordinary Affects, LCollective, and the all-female groups Moons, n/ether, and noeplace,. Laura is a former CMW fellow (2006-2008) continuing to teach and curate concerts until 2018 when she left CMW to attend Wesleyan University. She recently received her Doctorate in Music Composition from Cornell University and is also a proud parent of a CMW student who loves to draw. Contact: lcetilia@communitymusicworks.org

Sophie Chang
Resident Musician
Sophie Chang is a creative cellist, educator, and therapeutic musician. She joins CMW after leading a teaching studio and community cello choir in her home state of Maryland for eight years.  As a performer, Sophie frequently collaborates with traditional musicians from a variety of genres and plays contra dances throughout the East Coast with folk trio Petrichord. She holds a BM from Ithaca College and MM from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, and has extensive training in Suzuki and Music Mind Games pedagogy. Sophie received training as a Certified Music Practitioner from the Music for Healing and Transition Program and works with patients at Hasbro Children’s/Rhode Island Hospital. Contact: schang@communitymusicworks.org

Minna Choi
Fellowship Program Director / Resident Musician
Minna Choi, violinist, is the Fellowship Program Director at CMW and has been a resident musician since CMW’s start in 1997. Minna was a founding member of the Providence String Quartet, the organization’s resident ensemble. Minna’s interest in education and music began in her undergraduate years at Brown University, and she is passionate about music performance and education as a vehicle for youth development and community building. In addition to her work at CMW, Minna is an active freelance musician. In 2023 Minna was selected for the Equity Leadership Initiative of the Rhode Island Foundation, an initiative designed to support leaders of color across sectors in Rhode Island. Minna holds degrees from Brown University and the Hartt School of Music. She has performed with the Rhode Island Philharmonic and Boston Philharmonic, with the Borromeo, Turtle Island, and St. Lawrence String Quartets and with violist Kim Kashkashian. Influential teachers include Katie Lansdale, Eric Rosenblith and Lois Finkel. Minna lives in Providence with her husband, Sebastian Ruth, and two children. When not playing or teaching music, Minna enjoys trying out new recipes, practicing yoga, and exploring hikes in the New England area. Contact: mchoi@communitymusicworks.org

Elizabeth Cox
Director of Communications & Administration
Liz grew up in Boston and attended Boston University as a communications major until she quit to play drums and sing in a band. Her ensemble Combustible Edison recorded on the Subpop label, toured worldwide, and scored the film Four Rooms, collaborating with director Quentin Tarantino. Liz later quit showbiz, bought a fixer-upper in Pawtuxet Village and completed a Psychology and Women’s Studies degree at the University of Rhode Island. Liz volunteers for Vintage Pet Rescue, an organization that provides shelter and care for homeless senior, hospice, and special needs dogs, and for the Village Common of Rhode Island, a community-based network of support to older adults who wish to remain in their homes and communities as they grow older. Contact: lcox@communitymusicworks.org

Destiny Deas
Administrative and Finance Coordinator
Destiny is a South Providence native who has returned home after studying and experiencing the culture of New York City for five years. She is a multimedia creative with a passion for painting and fashion. Currently studying Business Management, she hopes to incorporate both passions into one and run a successful business someday. She works as an Administrative and Finance Coordinator at CMW, a place close to her heart, where she previously attended from 2013-2017 and learned to play the violin. Although she is not actively playing violin anymore, Destiny fell in love with the mission and the community at CMW, making it the perfect place to grow and help the organization further achieve its mission. With a unique set of skills and a passion for creativity and innovation, Destiny is poised to make a mark in the world of business and beyond. Contact: ddeas@communitymusicworks.org

Kimberly Fang
Resident Musician
Kimberly Fang is a violinist and always curious about what else the world has to offer. While she did originally grow up in Florida, she appreciates the changing of the seasons in New England and prefers the snow over the beach any day. She graduated from Northwestern University with a Bachelor of Music in violin performance and music education and earned a Masters in Violin Performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Before coming to CMW, Kimberly lived in Taipei, teaching English and freelancing as an opportunity to learn more about her heritage and to expand her teaching experiences. She is also currently active in the New England area, playing with several orchestras and teaching a private studio of violin students. Contact: kfang@communitymusicworks.org

Ashley Frith
Facilitator of Community Culture and Being(ness)
Ashley Lauren Frith is a violist, singer, songwriter, facilitator of belonging, and music educator. Focusing on care partnerships, her anti-racism work particularly addresses how racism affects our individual and collective interiority as it amplifies all other forms of oppression. Her work is held and supported by a contemplative end of life practice and yogic training, and is driven by deep healing and total liberation for all beings. Currently tethered between Rhode Island and Florida, Ashley is also a faculty member of the LA Philharmonic’s YOLA National Institute, and writes music for theatre. She also recently started shiatsu massage training. Contact: afrith@communitymusicworks.org

Irene Guerra-Rudas
Resident Musician
Born in Bogotá, Colombia, Irene is an accomplished orchestra and chamber musician as well as a dedicated educator. She has performed with major orchestras both in Colombia and the United States and co-founded the award-winning Efferus Quartet. Irene holds a bachelor’s degree in Violin Performance from Distrital University of Bogotá, and a master’s degree in chamber music performance from Kent State University, where she studied with members of the Miami String Quartet and The Cleveland Orchestra. She is currently a doctoral candidate at WVU. She firmly believes in the transformative power of music and enjoys working with students of all ages, helping them find their voice and purpose through music. Contact: irene@communitymusicworks.org

Jesse Holstein
Associate Director / Senior Resident Musician
Jesse Holstein, violinist and violist, has been a Resident Musician at CMW since 2001. He was a founding member of the Providence String Quartet, the original ensemble in residence at CMW. Prior to studying with Marilyn McDonald at Oberlin and James Buswell at New England Conservatory, he worked with Philipp Naegele and Diana Peele in his native Western Mass. For twenty-two years, Jesse was the concertmaster of the New Bedford Symphony. He has performed at the Bravo! Festival in Vail, Colorado, the Montana Chamber Music Festival, the Bay Chamber Concerts, the Worcester Chamber Music Society, the South Coast Chamber Music Series, the Rhode Island Chamber Music Concerts, the Green Lake Festival in Wisconsin, and at the Apple Hill Center for Chamber Music, among others. Jesse has been a Violin Professeur at L’Ecole de Musique, Dessaix Baptiste in Haiti and is currently on the faculty at Brown University. Some of his life forces are mindfulness, running, animals, CMW, and visiting Donegal, Ireland with his wife, violinist Ealaín McMullin. Contact: jholstein@communitymusicworks.org

Willy Kubas
Family Engagement Coordinator
Willy is a vocalist, and is starting their fourth year at CMW. They studied Voice at the New England Conservatory, where they graduated in 2020 with a degree in Contemporary Improvisation. Willy has been a part of programs at The Banff Center, Massachusetts College of Art and Design, and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts. Outside of CMW, Willy teaches voice lessons to a studio of adults, and is working on an electronic music project named almond. When they’re not doing these things, you can probably find them reading, playing soccer, on their computer, or eating. Contact: wkubas@communitymusicworks.org

Walter Muelling
Instructional Coordinator / Resident Musician
Walter, a multi-instrumentalist, joined the staff of CMW in the fall of 2021. He holds a BME from the University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh, a MM from Boston University, and is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Rhode Island. He is an active composer, conductor, educator, scholar, and performer whose work centers social change. Contact: wmuelling@communitymusicworks.org

AlexisMarie Nelson
Lessons & Ensembles Program Coordinator / Resident Musician
AlexisMarie was born and raised in Providence, Rhode Island. In 2012, she graduated from Community MusicWorks after six years of studying violin and eventually viola with Jesse Holstein. It was during this time that she developed a true love and respect for music and the way it connected the worlds around her. In the years since graduating, Alexis has journeyed to explore both her love of music and early childhood development by studying viola performance with John Sumerlin and Leonard Matczynski at Rhode Island College and the Boston Conservatory of Music at Berklee, respectively, spending two years in AmeriCorps through Ready2Learn Providence, and as a certified teacher’s assistant in Pre-K classes throughout the city. She has most recently spent two years as a CMW Alumni Fellow and as a teaching artist with the Newport String Project. Alexis is looking forward to using her unique perspective as an alumni to connect, create, and dream with the current students at CMW. Contact: anelson@communitymusicworks.org

Andrew Oung
Alumni Fellow
Andrew grew up in Rhode Island and joined CMW as a student in 2004. After graduating from CMW in 2015, they continued to study violin at Rhode Island College with John Sumerlin. Andrew continued to be involved with CMW as a mentor, board member, and MusicWorks Network Fellow. They also are currently studying nursing at the Community College of Rhode Island. Contact: aoung@communitymusicworks.org

Liesl Quigley
Development Operations Manager
Liesl graduated from Oberlin Conservatory in 2022 with a BM in Vocal Performance. During her studies, she developed a strong passion for building community through the arts. Her work in the nonprofit world has allowed her to forge meaningful relationships with organizations that are deeply embedded in their communities. A resident of the West End, she enjoys exploring Providence’s vibrant arts scene as well as spending time with her recently-adopted cat, Penny. Contact: lquigley@communitymusicworks.org

Kelly Reed
Managing Director
Kelly has 23 years of experience managing non-profit organizations, including A Far Cry Chamber Orchestra, and Emmanuel Church in Boston. In addition to management, Kelly has taught humanities courses, including music history, at Northeastern University and the Art Institute of Boston. She was a member of the Community Advisory Board of WGBH, and currently serves as Board Vice President of Emmanuel Music. Kelly was a 2015 Fellow of Arts Leaders as Cultural Innovators sponsored by the Rhode Island Foundation. As an amateur pianist and organist, Kelly frequently participates in CMW’s annual Bach Marathon. Contact: kreed@communitymusicworks.org

Bryony Romer
Institutional Relations
Bryony has over 30 years of experience in fundraising, organizational development, strategic planning, and project management. She works both with arts and education organizations deeply rooted in local communities and national performing arts and service organizations. In addition to Community MusicWorks, her clients have included the American Theatre Wing, Brooklyn Youth Chorus, Chamber Music America, Dances For A Variable Population, Hook Arts Media, Jacob’s Pillow Dance, Jalopy Theatre and School of Music, Local USA 829/United Scenic Artists, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Twyla Tharp Dance Foundation, and the Writers Guild Initiative. Contact: bromer@communitymusicworks.org

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